US Place Names ~ Nacimiento, California to New Haven, Connecticut

Nacimiento; town in San Luis Obispo County, California. A Spanish word meaning "nativity."

Nacio; town in Contra Costa County, California. From the Spanish meaning "I am born."

Nacogdoches; county in Texas, named from the former inhabitants, a subtribe of the Caddo Indians.

Nahant; town and watering place in Essex County, Massachusetts. An Indian word meaning "at the point," or "two things united," the latter translation applying to the two islands connected by a narrow beach. Johnson states that the name originated in Nahanton, the name of the Indian chief. Nason gives the origin from nahanto, meaning "twin islands."

Nahma; town in Delta County, Michigan, on the Sturgeon River. The Indian name for sturgeon.

Naiwa; tributary of the Mississippi. An Indian word meaning "copper snake river."

Namekagon; lake in Wisconsin. Derived from the Indian nanma, "sturgeon," signifying "place where sturgeons are plentiful."

Nameless; town in Laurens County, Georgia. So named from the fact that in a list of several hundred names submitted to the post-office authorities not one was found satisfactory.

Nameoki; town in Madison County, Illinois. An Indian word meaning "fishing place," or "place of fish."

Nance; county in Nebraska, named for Albinus Nance.

Nansemond; river and county in Virginia. Said to be derived from the Indian neunschimend, "whence we fled," or "whence we were driven off."

Nantakala; rivers in Georgia, and Macon County, North Carolina. A corrupted Cherokee name, signifying "middle sun," "noon sun."

Nanticoke; river in Delaware, town in Broome County, New York, and borough in Luzerne County and mountain in Pennsylvania, named from the Indian tribe. The word means "tide-water people."

Nantucket; island and county in Massachusetts. This name appeared upon the maps in 1630 as Naiocko, and some authorities state that it is derived from an Indian word meaning "far away;" others say that its present form is a direct derivation of the Indian nantuck, which means that the sandy, sterile soil tempted no one.

Napa; county, and city in same county, in California. Said to be an Indian word meaning "city," or "house."

Naperville; township and city in Dupage County, Illinois, named for Joseph Naper, its founder.

Naples; towns in Scott County, Illinois, and Ontario County, New York, named from Naples in Italy.

Napoleon; township and village in Henry County, in Ohio, named for Napoleon Bonaparte, the Corsican general.

Naranjo; town in Tulare County, California.. A Spanish word meaning "orange tree."

Narka; city in Republican County, Kansas, named for the daughter of a railroad official. The name is of Indian derivation.

Narragansett; summer resort in Washington County, Rhode Island. An Anglicization of the Indian name of a tribe, which in their language means "people of the point."

Nash; county in North Carolina, named for Gen. Francis Nash.

Nashota; town in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. An Indian word which, in the Algonquin and Dakota languages, means, respectively, "the twins" or "kicks up smoke."

Nashua; town in Chickasaw County, Iowa, named from the city in New Hampshire.

Nashua; city in Hillsboro County, New Hampshire. An Indian word meaning "land between."

Nashville; township and city in Washington County, Illinois, named from the city in Tennessee.

Nashville; village in Barry County, Michigan, named for E. W. Nash, who laid out the Michigan Central Railroad through the town.

Nashville; town in Nash County, North Carolina, and several other towns, named for Gen. Francis Nash.

Nashville; town in Holmes County, Ohio, probably named for Judge Simon Nash.

Nashville; city in Davidson County, Tennessee, named for Abner Nash, at onetime governor of North Carolina. According to another authority it was named for Gen. Francis Nash.

Nassau; counties in Florida and New York, and several towns in different States, named from the Duchy of Nassau in Germany.

Natchaug; river in Connecticut. Derived from an Indian word meaning "land between," or "in the middle."

Natick; town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. An Indian word meaning "place of hills."

Natividad; town in Monterey County, California. The Spanish form of "nativity."

Natrona; county in Wyoming. Derived from the Spanish, natrom, meaning "native carbonate of soda," and given this county because of the springs of this character within its limits.

Naubuc; town in Hartford County, Connecticut. It is said to be a corruption of the Indian, upauk, "flooded," or "overflowed."

Naugatuck; river, and borough in New Haven County, in Connecticut. Authorities differ as to the meaning of its India origin, giving both "one tree" and "fork of the river."

Nauvoo; city in Hancock County, Illinois, named in obedience to a "revelation" made to Joseph Smith, one of its Mormon founders.

Navajo; county, and town in Apache County, in Arizona, named for the Indian tribe, who are said to have been so named by the Spaniards, the word meaning a kind of clasp knife, and as applied to the tribe signifying "knife-whetting people."

Navarre; village in Stark County, Ohio, named from the province in Spain.

Navarro; county in Texas, named for Jose Antonio Navarro, a Mexican by birth, but a prominent Texas citizen.

Navesink; village in Monmouth County, New Jersey. An Indian word meaning "high land between waters."

Navidad; village in Jackson County, Texas. A Spanish word meaning "Christmas Day."

Nayattpoint; village in Bristol County, Rhode Island. Probably a corruption of the Indian, nayaug, meaning "point" or "corner."

Nazareth; borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, settled by Moravians, and by them named from the town in Galilee of Palestine.

Nebo; mountain in the Wasatch Range, Utah, and fourteen towns and villages, the name being transferred from the mount in Palestine.

Nebraska; State of the Union, and river in Iowa and Missouri. A Sioux Indian word meaning "shallow water" or "broad water."

Necedah; village in Juneau County, Wisconsin. A corruption of the Ojibwa Indian nissida, "let there be three of us."

Needham; town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, named from the town in England.

Needles; peaks of the Mojave Mountains in California, so named on account of their peculiarly sharp and slender outlines. Township in San Bernardino County, California.

Neenah; town in Westmoreland County, Virginia, and city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin. The name is derived from an Indian word meaning "water."

Negaunee; city in Marquette County, Michigan. An Indian word meaning "first," "ahead," "he goes before;" an effort to translate the English word "pioneer."

Neillsville; city in Clark County, Wisconsin, named for a family of early settlers.

Neligh; city in Antelope County, Nebraska, named for Hon. John D. Neligh.

Nelson; counties in Kentucky and Virginia, named for Thomas Nelson, governor of Virginia in 1781.

Nelson; village in Nuckolls County, Nebraska, named for C. Nelson Wheeler, who owned the town site.

Nelson; county in North Dakota, named for Hon. N. E. Nelson, a prominent pioneer settler.

Nelsonville; town in Putnam County, New York, named for Elisha Nelson, who built the first house in the settlement.

Nema; town in Santa Clara County, California. A Spanish word meaning "letter seal."

Nemaha; counties in Kansas and Nebraska. An Indian word meaning "muddy water."

Nennescah; river in Kansas. An Indian word meaning "good river."

Neodesha; city in Wilson County, Kansas, at the junction of the Fall and Verdigris rivers, and for this reason given the Indian name which means "meeting of the waters."

Neoga; village in Cumberland County, Illinois. An Indian word meaning "place of the Deity."

Neosho; river and county in Kansas and city in Newton County, Missouri;

Neosho Falls; city in Woodson County, Kansas. An Indian word meaning "clear cold water."

Nepaug; small stream in Connecticut. An Indian word meaning "waters" or "fresh pond."

Nephi; city in Juab County, Utah, named for the youngest son of Lehi, a character of the Book of Mormon.

Neponset; township and village in Bureau County, Illinois, named from Neponset, Massachusetts.

Neponset; substation of Boston and river in eastern Massachusetts. An Indian word meaning "he walks in his sleep."

Neptune City; borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, so named because of its location on the seaside.

Nesbitt; town in De Soto County, Mississippi, named for early settlers.

Nescopeck; creek and borough in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. A Delaware Indian word meaning "dark, deep, and still water."

Neshaminy; stream in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. A Delaware Indian word meaning "stream formed by the confluence of two branches."

Neshannock; stream, and village in Mercer County, Pennsylvania;

Neshannock Falls; village in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. A Delaware Indian word meaning "two adjoining streams" or "streams making one by flowing together."

Neshoba; county in Mississippi. An Indian word meaning "gray wolf."

Nesowadnehunk; stream and mountains in Maine. An Indian name meaning "stream among the mountains."

Nesquehoning; stream and village in Carbon County, Pennsylvania. A Delaware Indian word meaning "black lick."

Ness; county, and city in same county, in Kansas, named for Corpl. Noah V. Ness, of the Seventh Kansas Cavalry.

Nesselroad; village in Jackson County, West Virginia, named for the first postmaster.

Nettle Carrier; creek and village in Overton County, Tennessee, named for a Cherokee Indian of local note.

Nettleton; towns in Lee County, Mississippi, and Caldwell County, Missouri, named for a former vice-president of the Kansas City, Memphis and Birmingham Railroad.

Nevada; State of the Union, counties in Arkansas and California, and mountains of the western coast. A Spanish word meaning "snow-clad," "snowy land," originally applied to the snow-capped mountains.

Nevada;' township and city in Story County, Iowa, so named by settlers from the State of Nevada.

Neversink; river in New Jersey. A corruption of the Indian name, Naresink.

New; village in Oconto County, Wisconsin, named for Hon. John C. New, of Indianapolis, Indiana.

New Albany; township and city in Floyd County, Indiana, named from Albany in New York.

New Almaden; town in Santa Clara County, California, containing the most productive quicksilver mine in the United States. Named from the quicksilver mines of Almaden in Spain. A Spanish word meaning "mine" or "mineral."

Newark; town in Newcastle County, Delaware, and cities in Essex County, New Jersey, and Licking County, Ohio, named from the town in England.

Newark; village in Wayne County, New York, named by early settlers from the city in New Jersey.

Newaygo; county, and village in same county, in Michigan, named for an Indian chief. The name is said to mean "much water."

New Bedford; city in Bristol County, Massachusetts. The name of the owner of the town site was Russell, the family name of the Duke of Bedford.

Newbern; city in Craven County, North Carolina, named from the town of Bern in Switzerland.

Newberry; mountain in California, named for Captain Newberry.

Newberry; village in Luce County, Michigan, named for John A. Newberry, stock-holder in the Detroit, Mackinac and Marquette Railroad.

Newberry; township in Miami County, Ohio, probably named by a settler from Newburyport, Massachusetts.

Newberry; county, and town in same county, in South Carolina, said to have been named for a prominent resident family, or, according to another authority, for a captain in Sumter's State troops.

New Boston; township and city in Mercer County, Illinois, named from the city in Massachusetts.

New Braunfels; city in Comal County, Texas, named from the town in Prussia.

New Bremen; village in Auglaize County, Ohio, name from the city in Germany.

New Brighton; borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, named from the city in England.

New Brunswick; city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, incorporated in the time of and named for King George II, of the House of Brunswick.

Newburg; city in Orange County, New York, named from the town in Scotland. Newbury; town in Essex County, Massachusetts;

Newburyport; city in Essex County, Massachusetts, originally a part of Newbury. Named from the town in England.

Newcastle; county in Delaware, and twenty cities and towns in the United States, generally so called from the town in England or for the Duke of Newcastle.

Newcastle; city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, named from the city in England.

New Comerstown; village in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. A translation of the name of the Delaware Indian chief Netawawes, meaning "King Newcomer."

New Egypt; village in Ocean County, New Jersey, named from Egypt in Africa because of the extensive corn fields in the vicinity.

Newfane; town in Windham County, Vermont, said to have been named for Thomas Fane, one of the "men of Kent."

New Florence; city in Montgomery County, Missouri, named for the daughter of E. A. Lewis, an early settler, and given the prefix to distinguish it from another town of the same name in the State.

New Geneva; village in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, named from the principal city of Switzerland.

New Guinea; neighborhood in the town of Sheffield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, so named because of a settlement of several hundred Negroes who escaped from bondage in New York State.

New Hamburg; village in Scott County, Missouri, named from the city in Germany.

New Hampshire; State of the Union, named from the county in England.

New Hanover; county in North Carolina, named from the Duchy of Germany.

New Harmony; town in Posey County, Indiana, settled by the " Harmonists," and named for that sect.

New Haven; county, and city in same county, in Connecticut, settled by parties from Boston, who called it a "new haven."

US Place Names

Source: The Origin of Certain Place Names the United States, Second Edition, Henry Gannett, Washington, Government Printing Office, 1906.